The Cabell Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 54-6039157 · since 1961thecabellfoundation.org·Richmond, Virginia·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$7.7M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$10,000 to $500k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$50,000

Typical grant (median)

64 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Fixed application deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Cabell Foundation supports organisations across the Commonwealth of Virginia, with priority given to the Richmond metropolitan region, so fit depends on being located or working within that area.
Most grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $500,000, with a median of $50,000, so a request in that range is realistic, and its programme generally supports permanent capital projects through challenge or matching awards intended to stimulate broad community support, rather than general running costs.
The process is competitive, with a semi-annual cycle: Spring cycle contact forms are due by February 15th and applications by March 1st, while Fall cycle contact forms are due by August 15th and applications by September 1st; applicants should first submit a Contact Form to the Executive Director as a preliminary step, and may be asked to meet or host a site visit.
Only 28% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the two previous filings, so new applicants are regularly funded alongside established ones.
Do not apply for individuals, scholarship funds, general endowments, debt reduction, general operating expenses, national fund drives, mass appeals, umbrella organisations, public sector agencies, state and local government majority supported entities except a limited number of institutions, churches and other religious institutions except for repair of damage from fire, flood or other catastrophe or for historic preservation, or private foundations as described under Section 509(a).

Overview

The Cabell Foundation is a US private foundation based in Richmond, VA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Cabell Foundation supports the permanent needs of charitable organisations throughout Virginia, with particular emphasis on agencies in the metro Richmond region. Its stated support spans cultural arts institutions, historic preservation, environment and conservation initiatives, community development, higher education infrastructure and social services. Its funding categories cover cultural arts, civic and community work, conservation and environment, education, historic preservation, and social services, health and welfare. The foundation does not allocate funding across these areas; the competitive nature of proposals drives its recommendations and decisions. Its semi-annual competitive grants programme supports permanent capital projects, generally through challenge or matching awards intended to stimulate broad community support. It also initiates partnerships for planning, seed funding or organisational development where the board identifies an area requiring additional focus to serve the community.

Themes

Cultural arts
Civic and community
Conservation and environment
Education
Historic preservation
Social services, health & welfare

Geographic Focus

Commonwealth of Virginia. Priority: Richmond metropolitan region.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals
Scholarship funds
General endowments
Debt reduction
General operating expenses
National fund drives
Mass appeals
Umbrella organizations
Public sector agencies
State and local government majority supported entities, except a limited number of institutions
Churches and other religious institutions, except for the repair of damage resulting from fire, flood or other catastrophe or for historic preservation
Private foundations as described under Section 509 (a)

How to apply

Applicants first submit a Contact Form describing the proposed grant to the Executive Director as the preliminary step.

Deadlines:

Spring Grant Cycle contact forms are submitted by February 15th.
Spring Grant Cycle applications are submitted by March 1st.
Fall Grant Cycle contact forms are submitted by August 15th.
Fall Grant Cycle applications are submitted by September 1st.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 28% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 154 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The competitive nature of proposals drives its funding recommendations and decisions.
Competitive awards are generally made on a challenge or match basis to stimulate broad community support.
For challenge grants, no more than half of matching funds should typically come from other private foundations.
Prospective grantees must complete the Contact Form and speak with the Executive Director; meetings or site visits may be arranged as needed.
Grantees must report how Foundation funding leveraged community support, project outcomes and how grant funds were used.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Virginia100%

The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 28% of grant dollars went to organisations The Cabell Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

64 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $50,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 64 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$10k–$25k28%

$25k–$50k19%

$50k–$100k14%

$100k–$250k23%

$250k–$500k13%

$500k–$1M3%

Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Better Housing Coalition · To support construction of colbrook, a 147-unit affordable housing project in chester, va
$750,0002024 tax year
FeedMore · To support nourishing our community now - the campaign for feedmore, a new headquarters building
$750,0002024 tax year
Rappahannock Tribe · To support phase 3 capital campaign: acquisition of fones cliff ancestral land on the rappahannock river as part of a three-phase campaign
$400,0002024 tax year
Richmond Ballet · To support richmond ballet capital initiatives including four new hvac units, new security systems and new studio flooring
$400,0002024 tax year
Vims · To suport renovation of the visitor center and to support the research work of dr. mcgrath and eric hilton to track river herring in the piankatank river
$400,0002024 tax year
Hospice House of Hampton Roads · To support building a hospice house to serve hampton roads
$350,0002024 tax year
Chesapeake Bay Foundation · To support the installation of oyster reefs in the hampton river
$350,0002024 tax year
SupportWorks Housing · To support program and operations through unrestricted funds
$300,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Margaret Christina Cabell — Director
Sarah Bane Williams — Executive Director
Mary Z Zeugner — Vice President
John Branch Cabell — Treasurer
Patteson Branch III — Secretary
Elizabeth Cabell Jennings — President
Russell Branch — Director
J Read Branch Jr — Director
Charles L Cabell Esquire — Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$9,729,992	$8,625,000	$137,233,253	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$8,358,211	$6,805,000	$154,490,032	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$8,897,245	$7,730,000	$163,452,405	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.